Behind the Republican Revolt

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Many Republicans say they are frustrated because Bush has not done a better job of selling his plan. "People would support it if they believed that it would work," says one G.O.P. strategist. "They want to support something that's going to succeed, but they are not sure this is it." White House aides say they are hoping to keep opponents at bay long enough to show some shift in the dynamic on the ground, like the Iraqi government delivering fresh brigades to Baghdad's troubled Sadr City. "Time is not unlimited," says a senior White House aide. "But if there are some tangible signs of measurable progress, as well as signs of a new willingness by the Iraqi government to change bad habits or old ways, that should at least give confidence to people."

Republicans are already looking past the President's plan, worrying about the long-term damage they could suffer even after Bush is out of office, much as the "Vietnam syndrome" has for decades haunted Democrats. That's a lesson from history that Republicans don't want to repeat. But if Iraq's troubles spread farther in the region, says Richard Lugar, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "that will be perceived as a very large failure on the part of whoever is in power."